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Syria FM, UN chief in verbal clash at conference

Associated Press

Updated:
01/23/2014 12:20:45 AM EST

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Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallem, attends the Geneva II peace talks on Syria in Montreux Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2014. The Syrian peace talks begin with a bitter clash over President Bashar Assad's future. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says Assad's decision to meet peaceful dissent with brutal force had robbed him of all legitimacy, while Assad's foreign minister declared that no one outside Syria had the right to remove the government.

MONTREUX, Switzerland—The bell ran five times during Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem's speech Wednesday at the opening session of the Syrian peace conference, signaling he had exceeded the time limit. But al-Moallem refused to stop, setting off a tense exchange with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon that showed the tensions in trying to resolve Syria's bloody conflict.

Here's the exchange:

Ban: Can you just wrap up please.

Al-Moallem: I came here after 12 hours in the airplane. I have few more minutes to end my speech. This is Syria.

Ban: How much do you have left now?

Al-Moallem: I think 5-10 minutes.

Ban: No, no. I will give you another opportunity to speak.

Al-Moallem: No, I cannot divide my speech. I must continue ... I will do my best to be fast.

Ban: Can you just wrap up in one or two minutes?

Al-Moallem: No, I can't promise you, I must finish my speech. ... You live in New York, I live in Syria. I have the right to give the Syrian version here in this forum. After three years of suffering, this is my right.

Ban: We have to have some constructive and harmonious dialogue, please refrain from inflammatory rhetoric.

A-Moallem: It is constructive, I promise you, let me finish.

Ban: Within 2-3 minutes please. I will give you another opportunity.

Al-Moallem: You spoke for 25 minutes, at least I need to speak 30 minutes.

Few minutes later, Ban interrupts again.

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Al-Moallem says he has one sentence left, to which Ban asks him to keep his promise.

"Syria always keeps its promises," al-Moallem replied, triggering approving laughter from the Syrian government delegation behind him and a wry grin from Ban.

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